Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a cleaning device and more specifically it relates to a cosmetic brush cleaning pad for efficiently maintaining the cleanliness of makeup brushes while controlling microbial growth in the fiber bundle.
Description of the Related Art
Any discussion of the related art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such related art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.
Cosmetic brushes are utilized daily by millions of people throughout the world. The repeated, daily use of such brushes requires regular upkeep to maintain cleanliness of the brush and prevent potentially damaging growths, such as bacteria.
In the past, makeup brushes have been cleaned conventionally by wetting the brush bundle with water and then using a detergent-based product on the wet hairs to loosen makeup product debris therefrom. The bundle is then dragged back and forth across a paper towel or the like to further remove the debris. The bundle is then rinsed with more water to remove any remnants and the user squeezes as much of the remaining water from the bundle as possible. The user will then often shape the moist bundle into an approximation of the original shape and then place in an open air environment to allow to dry.
While this conventional prior art method of cleaning brushes is common, it does suffer from a number of drawbacks. First, the detergent-based formula used in connection with water may be effective at removing excess debris from the hair bundle, but it can also cause structural damage to the bundle shaft due to the chemical solvent nature of the water and detergent on the proteins and amino acids that make up the animal and human hair shafts so commonly used in makeup brushes. The water and detergent may also act to accelerate degradation of the amino acid bonds which hold the protein structure together to form the hair shaft. Additionally, the effect of excess moisture on the hair shaft may cause the protein structure to swell and contract with each cleaning and drying cycle. Further, usage of water and detergency does not itself provide any substantial abeyance of microbial presence on the hair. Finally, the long cleaning cycle of this prior art method requires a professional to stock multiples of each makeup brush to keep up with demand without risking customers to exposure to a dirty brush.
Because of the inherent problems with the related art, there is a need for a new and improved cosmetic brush cleaning pad for efficiently maintaining cleanliness of makeup brushes while controlling microbial growth in the fiber bundle.